Tuesday, August 15, 2006

We cannot grudge better incomes

for farmers: PM

I see that our farmers in many parts are in a crisis, not managing to eke out a decent living from their land. When I visited Vidarbha, the plight of the farmers there made a deep impact on me,' he said.

We need to understand if we want better prices for farmers so that they earn a better livelihood, the prices of what they produce and sell will have to go up,' the prime minister said in his Independence Day address from the Red Fort here.

We need to understand if we want better prices for farmers so that they earn a better livelihood, the prices of what they produce and sell will have to go up,' the prime minister said in his Independence Day address from the Red Fort here.

'The agricultural crisis that is forcing them to take the desperate step of committing suicide needs to be resolved. We need to think about how we can provide a decent livelihood to our farmers.'

We certainly cannot grudge our farmers better incomes when incomes of other sections of society are rising.'

By Indo Asian News Service

New Delhi, Aug 15 (IANS) Distressed by a spate of suicides, poverty and hunger among Indian farmers, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Tuesday assured them of remunerative prices for farm produce and every possible assistance to redress their distress.

'We need to understand if we want better prices for farmers so that they earn a better livelihood, the prices of what they produce and sell will have to go up,' the prime minister said in his Independence Day address from the Red Fort here.

'In order to ensure that the needy and the poor do not get adversely affected, our government is committed to ensuring adequate availability of essential commodities at affordable prices to them,' he added.

The prime minister said he was aware of the acute distress the Indian farmer was facing on account of heavy debt burden, adding that an expert group had recently been constituted to look into this issue.

'I see that our farmers in many parts are in a crisis, not managing to eke out a decent living from their land. When I visited Vidarbha, the plight of the farmers there made a deep impact on me,' he said.

'The agricultural crisis that is forcing them to take the desperate step of committing suicide needs to be resolved. We need to think about how we can provide a decent livelihood to our farmers.'

'I am confident that in a few months, we will take concrete measures to help our farmers overcome the burden of crushing debt,' the prime minister asserted.

Reiterating his promise in his Independence Day address two years ago of a new deal for rural India, he said while much had been done in this regard such as doubling of farm credit, much more remained to be accomplished.

'Importantly, we must ensure that more people get employment in manufacturing and services so that the disproportionate burden on agriculture in providing a livelihood to two-thirds of our population gets reduced.'

The prime minister said the government was also reviving the cooperative banking system and would pay special attention to horticulture, animal husbandry, cotton, sugarcane and other crops.

'We are trying to reach institutional credit to each and every farmer so that they are out of the clutches of moneylenders,' he said.

'A National Fisheries Development Board has been set up to increase the livelihood of fishermen. Agricultural research is being improved and Krishi Vigyan Kendras will soon be functioning in every district of the country by the yearend.'

ON THE INDIA'S 60THINDEPENDENCE DAY, FARM ACTIVIST ORGANIZATION VIDARBHA JAN ANDOLAN SAMITI REPORTED THAT IN THE YEAR 2006 SIX 600 COTTON GROWERS COMMITTED SUICIDES IN WEST VIDARBHA IN ON GOING AGRARIAN CRISIS. VJAS REPORTED THAT IN LAST 225 DAYS OF 2006 IN VIDARBHA 602 FARMERS COMMITTED SUICIDES THAT RECORD MORE THAN 3 SUICIDES A DAY. VJAS IS KEEPING THE TRACK OF SUICIDES INFORMED TODAY THAT IN JAN.-68, FEB.-54, MAR-77, APRIL-65, MAY-62, JUNE-68, JULY-90 AND FIRST 14 DAYS OF AUGUST-37 FARMERS COMMITTED SUICIDES." THIS IS RESULT OF WRONG POLICIES OF GOVT. WHICH HAS RUINED THE RURAL ECONOMY OF VIDARBHA. THESE ARE NOT SUICIDES, ARE CULPABLE HOMICIDE BY THE STATE" KISHOR TIWARI QUOTED TODAY AND TILL POLICIES OF FREE INDIA ARE NOT CHANGED IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE RURAL ECONOMY OF INDIA, SUICIDES WILL CONTINUE, TIWARIADDED.

VJAS URGED INDIAN TO ANNOUNCE TO THE TARGETED RELIEF POLICY CHANGES ON THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF INDIAN INDEPENDENCE IN ORDER TO SAVE INDIAN FARMERS AT LARGE.

GOVT. OF MAHARASHTRA PRESENTLY ON RECORD ADMITTED THAT 1800 FARMERS HAVE COMMITTED SUICIDES DUE TO DISTRESS PREVAILING IN THE RURAL SECTOR OF VIDARBHA. THE ISSUE OF COTTON GROWERS HAS HIT HARD WHEN DR.M.S.SWAMINATHAN, CHAIRMAN OF NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR FARMERS (NCF) TOURED VIDARBHA IN LAST WEEK OF OCTOBER-2005 TO STUDY THE FACT BEHIND THE FARMER'S DISTRESS RESULTING IN SUICIDES. DR.M.S.SWAMINATHAN HAS SUGGESTED SOME RECOMMENDATIONS MAINLY

1. RESTORATION OF ADVANCE BONUS & PROCUREMENT OF COTTON UNDER COTTON MONOPOLY SCHEME WITH OUT IN FURTHER DELAY I.E. IN NOVEMBER, 2005.

2. FRESH CREDIT TO ALL COTTON GROWERS WHO ARE IN DEBT TRAP OF PRIVATE MONEY LENDERS.

3. HIKE IN IMPORT DUTY OF RAW COTTON MAINLY SOLD BY AMERICAN FARMERS WITH VERY HIGH EXPORT SUBSIDY.

HAVING IGNORED ALL THESE RECOMMENDATIONS, MAHARASHTRA GOVT. ANNOUNCED RS.1070 CRORE SPECIAL PACKAGES BUT THAT TRIGGERED FURTHER 500 COTTON GROWERS SUICIDE AS RELIEF WAS NOT TARGETED TO THE FARMERS WHO ARE IN DISTRESS. WHEN SUICIDES NUMBERS CROSSED 600 AND HIGH COURT AND MEDIA BECOME CRITICAL ON INVENTIVENESS' OF GOVT. IN MAHARASHTRA AND AT THE CENTRE, INDIAN PRIME MINISTER DR.MAMOHANSINGHJI TOURED VIDARBHA ON 30TH JUNE & 1ST JULY OF THIS MONTH AND ONCE AGAIN HE COME OUT WITH PACKAGE OF RS.3750 CRORE IN THIS PACKAGE ALSO CENTRAL GOVT. FAILED DUE TO TAKE OUT FROM DEBT TRAP AS WHOLE PACKAGE WAS VERY SALIENT OF PENDING LOAN OF THE FARMERS MORE OVER PRIME MINISTER HAS NOT SPOKEN SINGLE WORD ON THE COTTON ADVANCE BONUS AND HIKE IMPORT DUTY OF AMERICAN SUBSIDIES COTTON THAT HAS TRIGGERED THE SUICIDES

AS MAIN DEMANDS OF COTTON GROWERS OF VIDARBHA ARE NOT BEING ADDRESSED BY THE PRIME MINISTER AND CHIEF MINISTER OF INDIA WHICH ARE1. AS MORE THAN 90% ARE TAKING CROP-LOAN FROM PRIVATE MONEY LENDERS AS THEY DEFAULTER OF BANK DUE TO VERY OLD DUES HENCE CENTRAL GOVT. SHOULD GIVE RS.5000/- CRORE FOR FARMERS' OLD DEBT ADJUSTMENTS AND FOR FRESH CROP LOAN TO EVERY FARMER IN ORDER TO STOP THEIR EXPLOITATION.